With the help of Masakazu Shimizu, the local kingpin masquerading as a mayor, the remaining logistics were handled with lightning speed. Whether it was the construction crews or the material suppliers, a single phone call from him smoothed over every obstacle.
Although Masao Busujima held a lofty social status, if he had tried to handle these mundane matters himself, it would have been a waste of time and money. Some doors only open for local thugs, not national icons.
After finalizing the construction details, Adrian politely refused Shimizu's invitation to visit a high-end brothel and returned directly to the dojo.
He had already vented his lust five times on Manami Katsura that afternoon. Right now, he was in "Sage Mode"—he had absolutely no interest in mediocre women.
"You're back."
As soon as he stepped into the rear courtyard of the dojo, Adrian heard a clear, crisp greeting.
Saeko Busujima was kneeling in the corridor, dressed in modest home attire, bowing deeply to him. Judging from her posture, she had been waiting there for a long time.
"Is something wrong?"
Although Adrian knew exactly why she was waiting—the aftermath of the afternoon's debauchery—he pretended to be clueless. In this world, as long as you don't feel embarrassed, the embarrassment belongs to everyone else.
Saeko clearly didn't expect her father to play the fool. After sending away that seductive woman, she had been left to clean up the disgusting mess in the guest room.
She didn't know if that woman was made of water, but she had soaked through five tatami mats. Even the low table had been sticky. It had taken Saeko two hours of scrubbing to remove the scent of musk and fluids.
To be honest, Saeko had no opinion on her father having affairs. He was a widower and a powerful man; it wasn't her place to interfere with his needs.
But when she heard her father was preparing to take that woman's daughter as a Personal Disciple, she felt she had to speak up.
Her father had spent his entire life building his reputation as the greatest swordsman in Japan. He was her idol. She absolutely couldn't let him tarnish his legacy in a moment of lust-fueled folly.
"Father, I heard from Mrs. Katsura that her daughter will be undergoing the discipleship ceremony in three days. Is she truly to become your Personal Disciple?"
Saeko steadied her emotions and asked in a tone as gentle and respectful as possible.
"That is correct. That is what I decided."
Adrian sat down cross-legged, facing her, and nodded nonchalantly.
"But Father... a Personal Disciple represents not only themselves but your reputation. I have met the girl, Kotonoha Katsura. I do not believe she is qualified."
A "Personal Disciple" was different from the ordinary fee-paying students. Each one was a successor, a representative of the Busujima style. Over decades, Masao had only accepted three. Saeko was terrified that her father was thinking with his lower half and would ruin the dojo's name for a pretty face.
Whoosh!
Adrian didn't offer an explanation. Instead, his right hand moved like a viper. He extended his index and middle fingers, thrusting them toward Saeko's neck like a spear.
Feeling an unprecedented, overwhelming killing intent, Saeko didn't hesitate. Her instincts took over, and she instantly drew the oak training sword she kept at her side to block the strike.
Crack!
The solid oak bokken snapped in two with a sharp report.
Saeko froze. She stared down at the two fingers resting lightly against the pulse of her throat. Cold sweat instantly drenched her back.
While her reaction speed and skills were unmatched among her high school peers, compared to the monster known as Masao Busujima, she was an insect.
"Your father isn't senile, Saeko. That girl, Kotonoha, possesses a rare talent hidden beneath her frailty. As for her mother... that was merely a whim."
Adrian spoke slowly, his voice calm and terrifying. He traced a small circle on the delicate skin of Saeko's neck with his fingertips.
"Ha... Hai!"
Although it was only two fingers, Saeko felt as though a cold steel blade was pressing against her artery. Goosebumps rose across her entire body.
She had sparred with her father many times, but he had never released his true aura like this. What father unleashes genuine killing intent against his own daughter?
In that moment, Saeko realized the gap between them was still a chasm she could not cross.
"Think about this carefully. At the ceremony in three days, I will have you spar with Kotonoha. Do not disgrace me."
Adrian stood up, looking down at her with condescending authority.
"Yes! As you command!"
Saeko immediately prostrated herself on the floorboards, shouting her obedience with impressive force.
"Very good. I am going to rest now."
Adrian turned and walked away.
Once he was out of Saeko's line of sight, Adrian's stoic expression crumbled. He bared his teeth in pain and began to frantically rub his throbbing fingers.
'I was careless!'
He had underestimated the physics of this world. Although he possessed the stats of a top-tier swordsman, this was still a semi-realistic setting, not a Wuxia fantasy. Parrying a solid oak sword with bare fingers looked incredibly cool, but it had nearly shattered his bones.
Still, it was worth it. Saeko was a formidable warrior who could chop off zombie heads with a wooden sword. Intimidating her required a show of overwhelming force.
'Speaking of which...'
Adrian recalled the sensation of the strike.
Although he had hit the sword, his "sword-finger" technique had also sliced through something else.
In the corridor, a gentle breeze blew past.
Saeko, still kneeling in the aftermath of the confrontation, suddenly felt a chill on her upper body.
"Ah!"
She finally snapped out of her shock, only to realize her chest was completely exposed.
The front of her gi had been sliced clean open. Her two full, teardrop-shaped breasts were revealed to the cool night air, the pink nipples hardening in the breeze.
Earlier, Adrian's finger-sword had not only snapped the wood but had severed the fabric of her collar with surgical precision. However, Saeko had been so terrified by his killing intent that she hadn't even noticed her clothes falling apart.
When she had prostrated herself, gravity did the rest.
"Father..."
Realizing he must have seen everything before he turned away, Saeko's face burned crimson. She quickly crossed her arms to cover herself and fled back to her room, her heart pounding with a mixture of fear and a strange, unfamiliar heat.
....
.....
.....
Support my patreon and get early access to chapters
patreon.com/ImmortalDaoWriter
Don't forgot to give me powerstones.